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Monday, May 19, 2008

I've been cooking up all sorts of yummy new meals, and decided I just had to take some time and actually post them!

This recipe comes from a new sort of program that Shaw's Supermarkets has going on with America's Test Kitchens - they provide the recipe cards, free - and of course, you buy the ingredients (cute how that works huh?). In any case, that's where this recipe comes from!

Garlic Chicken w/Sweet Roasted Pepper Sauce

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt & pepper

2 Tbls. vegetable oil

1 sm. onion, sliced thin

6 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 12oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained & chopped

2 tsp. sugar

1-1/2 c. low-sodium chicken broth

1/4 c. fresh basil, chopped

2 Tbls. unsalted butter

In my photo, you'll see more than 4 chicken breasts because the ones I had were really big, so I cut them in half to cut down on cooking time.

Pat chicken breasts dry and season with salt & pepper. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to plate.

Add onions to fat in the skillet and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add peppers, sugar, broth & browned chicken, along with any accumulated juices and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 5 minutes (make sure your chicken is 160°F please!)

Transfer chicken to serving platter and tent with foil. Return skillet to high heat and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in basil and butter. Season with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken & serve.

It really was as good as it looks! It was very quick to make (their whole series is 30 minutes or less recipes) and I'll definitely make it again!

Wednesday, May 07, 2008

LOL My kids & I just saw the movie Ratatouille last week and they were intrigued but the idea of the FOOD ratatouille. But I KNOW that my oldest does not LIKE most vegetables - my daughter will, on occasion, depending on her mood, either love them or hate them. BUT I LOVE THEM. So I figured I'd make it and cash in on the popularity of the movie.

I looked around the net for an interesting recipe - there's so many variations. I wound up making my own because I wasn't paying attention LOL It came out SCRUMPTIOUS and my kids RAVED over it. My oldest, mr. only likes green beans, asked for 2nds... and 3rds!

In a pot, I sauteed the onions and garlic. Once the onions were transluscent, I added the green peppers - covered the pot and let them cook down some. To that, I added the eggplant & tomatoes and then simmered it, covered, for about 15 minutes - or perhaps 20. Finally, I threw in the celery & squashes. Again, I covered it and let it simmer while I cooked up a pound of angel hair spaghetti, which I served the ratatouille over. Truly, this was a delicious meal! It did need some salt, but we added that individually - and it was even better when we added parmesan cheese. All in all, a BIG success in my house!